The Response of Denitrification to Increasing Water Temperature and Nitrate Availability: The Case of a Large Lowland River (Po River, Northern Italy) under a Climate Change Scenario

Abstract

Water warming and nutrient pulses following extreme rainfall events, both consequences of climate change, may have a profound impact on the biogeochemical dynamics of large temperate rivers, such as the Po River (Northern Italy), affecting denitrification capacity and the delivery of N loads to terminal water bodies. Manipulative experiments on denitrification kinetics were carried out using dark laboratory incubations of intact sediment cores collected from the lower Po River. Denitrification was measured along temperature and NO3− concentration gradients using 15N additions, in summer and autumn, the two seasons when climate change-induced warming has been shown to be higher. The combination of increased temperatures and pulsed NO3−-enhanced denitrification, suggesting that electron acceptor availability limits the process. The direct link between climate change-induced effects and the positive response of denitrification may have implications for the improvement of water quality in the coastal zone, as it may help to partially buffer N export, especially in summer, when the risk of eutrophication is higher. Further research is needed to investigate the quality and quantity of sediment organic matter as important drivers regulating river denitrification.